Cable having an integrated antenna

ABSTRACT

A cable assembly including a first connector, a second connector, and a cable is disclosed that routes power, and/or information between devices. The cable includes a first group of one or more conductors that are mechanically connected to the first connector and the second connector to route power and/or one or more wired information communications between the devices. The cable also includes a second group of one or more that is mechanically connected to the first connector to provide one or more wireless information communications between the first device and the second device or a third device which is not mechanically connected to the cable assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/960,878, filed Dec. 7, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,774,147,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No.62/241,424, filed Oct. 14, 2015, each of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Devices have evolved from single-purpose devices into multi-purposedevices of today. For example, a set-top box (STB) or set-top unit (STU)traditionally only provided television service. This single-purpose STBhas evolved into a multi-purpose STB enabling access to multipledelivery methods, such as terrestrial, cable, internet, and satellite toprovide some examples. This multi-purpose STB combines the traditionaltelevision service with other services, such as video on demand,time-shifting, Internet applications, video telephony, surveillance,gaming, shopping, electronic program guides, and e-government to provideexamples. The multi-purpose STB can include an antenna for accessing themultiple delivery methods, such as terrestrial, cable, internet, andsatellite to provide some examples. The antenna may be mountedinternally within the multi-purpose STB or externally to themulti-purpose STB. The performance of the internal antenna is oftencompromised due to space constraints and attenuation caused by amechanical enclosure of the multi-purpose STB. In some situations, theexternal antenna can be used to alleviate these problems. The externalantenna is often attached to the mechanical enclosure of themulti-purpose STB and often protrudes from the mechanical enclosure. Notonly is the protruding external antenna unsightly, the external antennais easily broken and can become entangled with cables, such as audio,video, and/or power cables to provide some examples, that are necessaryfor operation of the multi-purpose STB.

As another example, a mobile phone or cellular phone traditionally onlyprovided telephone service. This single-purpose mobile phone has evolvedinto a multi-purpose mobile phone or smartphone combining features ofthe single-purpose mobile phone with those of other popular mobiledevices, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a multimedia playerand a Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation device. Mostsmartphones access the Internet; have a touchscreen user interface; andrun numerous third-party applications. The multi-purpose mobile phonecommunicates using a wide variety of technologies, such as near fieldcommunication (NFC) technologies, Bluetooth technologies, GPStechnologies, cellular technologies, and/or wireless local area network(WLAN) technologies to provide some examples. Each of these technologiesrequires its own antenna within the multi-purpose mobile phone. As themulti-purpose mobile phone continues to evolve into even smaller sizes,the amount of space available for antennas of these technologies as wellas other new further technologies not yet discovered continues todecrease.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a cable according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary male connector for the cable accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary female connector for the cableaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary cable assembly according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a first exemplary operating environment for the cableassembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a second exemplary operating environment for thecable assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a third exemplary operating environment for the cableassembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the disclosure are described with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicateidentical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left mostdigit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which thereference number first appears.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Overview

A cable assembly including a first connector, a second connector, and acable is disclosed that routes power, and/or information betweendevices. The cable includes a first group of one or more conductors thatare mechanically connected to the first connector and the secondconnector to route power and/or one or more wired informationcommunications between the devices. The cable also includes a secondgroup of one or more conductors that are mechanically connected to thefirst connector to provide one or more wireless informationcommunications between the first device and the second device or a thirddevice which is not mechanically connected to the cable assembly.

Exemplary Cable

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross sectional view of a cable according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. A cable 100 routespower, such as alternating current (AC) power or direct current (DC)power to provide some examples, one or more information communications,such as one or more wired communications and/or one or more wirelesscommunications to provide some examples, between devices. Generally, theone or more information communications represent any communication thatuses a modulated or unmodulated signal to convey information, such asdata and/or one or more commands to provide some examples, that arerouted between the devices. The one or more information communicationscan include communications that are prescribed in one or more wirelessnetworking communication standards or protocols, such as a version of anInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11communication standard, for example, 802.11a, 802.11b/g/n, and/or802.11ac which are collectively referred to as Wi-Fi, an IEEE 802.16communication standard, also referred to as Worldwide Interoperabilityfor Microwave Access (WiMAX), a version of a Bluetooth communicationstandard, a version of a ZigBee communication standard, a version of aZ-Wave communication standard, a version of a IPv6 over Low powerWireless Personal Area Networks (6LoWPAN) communication standard, aversion of Insteon, an ISO/IEC 14543-3-10 communication standard, alsoreferred to as EnOcean, and/or or any other wireless networkingcommunication standard or protocol that will be apparent to thoseskilled in the relevant art(s) without departing from the spirit andscope of the present disclosure. The one or more informationcommunications can also, or alternatively, include communications thatare prescribed in one or more cellular communication standards, such asa third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE)communication standard, a fourth generation (4G) mobile communicationstandard, or a third generation (3G) mobile communication standard toprovide some examples.

The devices can include one or more mobile phones; one or more mobilecomputing devices; one or more mobile internet devices; one or morepersonal digital assistants; one or more handheld game consoles; one ormore portable media players; one or more digital cameras; one or morepersonal navigation devices; one or more tablet computers; one or morepersonal computers; one or more peripheral devices, such as one or moreexternal drives, one or more printers, one or more mice, one or morekeyboards, one or more displays, such as one or more television sets ormonitors; one or more scanners; one or more power providing connectors,such as one or more AC connectors; and/or any other suitable device thatwill be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s). The cable 100includes a cable jacket 102, a shielding and reinforcement assembly 104,an insulating assembly 106, and conductors 108.1 through 108.n. Althoughthe cable 100 is illustrated as including the cable jacket 102, theshielding and reinforcement assembly 104, and the insulating assembly106 in FIG. 1, this is for illustrative purpose only. Those skilled inthe relevant art(s) will recognize that the cable 100 can includedifferent combinations of the cable jacket 102, the shielding andreinforcement assembly 104, and the insulating assembly 106 withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Forexample, in an exemplary embodiment, the cable 100 includes the cablejacket 102, the insulating assembly 106, and the conductors 108.1through 108.n.

The cable jacket 102 represents a protective outer coating for the cable100. Generally, the cable jacket 102 protects the conductors 108.1through 108.n from mechanical, moisture, light, and/or chemical damageduring installation and/or service life of the cable 100. In somesituations, the cable jacket 102 can enhance flame resistance of thecable 100, improve sunlight and electrical surface tracking resistanceof the cable 100, facilitate installation of the cable 100, and/orprovide a manner to identify and/or group the cable 100. The cablejacket 102 can be constructed using one or more plastic materials, suchas Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP),Polyurethane (PUR), or Nylon to provide some examples, one or morerubber materials, such as Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR), Neoprene(Polychloroprene), Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), Silicone, Fiberglass,Ethylene Propylene Rubber (EPR), Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE),Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) to provide some examples, one ormore fluoropolymers, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), FluorinatedEthylene Propylene (FEP), ETFE Tefzel and ECTFE Halar, PolyvinylideneFluoride (PVDF), or Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) to provide someexamples, and/or any other suitable material that will be apparent tothose skilled in the relevant art(s).

The shielding and reinforcement assembly 104 protects the cable 100 fromelectromagnetic interference (EMI) and/or light intrusion as well as canprovide mechanical reinforcement for the cable 100. The cable 100 can bea source of EMI for other devices. For example, electromagnetic signalsflowing through the conductors 108.1 through 108.n can generate amagnetic field and/or an electric field which can disrupt or impedeoperation of other devices within the magnetic field and/or the electricfield. The shielding and reinforcement assembly 104 can protect theother devices from these magnetic fields and/or electric fields. Asanother example, these other devices can generate electromagnetic fieldsand/or electromagnetic signals which can couple onto the conductors108.1 through 108.n. The shielding and reinforcement assembly 104 canprotect the devices coupled to the cable 100 from these electromagneticfields and/or electromagnetic signals. Typically, the shielding andreinforcement assembly 104 is formed using one or more conductivematerials, such as aluminum (Al), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), Gold (Au),Tin (Sn), or Nickel (Ni) to provide some examples, combinations of theone or more conductive materials, or by a mesh or braid of the one ormore conductive materials. As to be discussed below, a first group ofconductors from among the conductors 108.1 through 108.n can beconfigured as one or more integrated antennas to provide for the one ormore wireless communications between the devices. In an exemplaryembodiment, the shielding and reinforcement assembly 104 can include oneor more openings or holes to allow electromagnetic waves to pass betweenthe one or more integrated antennas and the devices. In this exemplaryembodiment, a diameter the one or more openings or holes are greaterthan or equal to a wavelength (λ) of the electromagnetic waves to allowthem to pass through the shielding and reinforcement assembly 104.

The insulating assembly 106 represents an assembly of non-conductivematerial or semi-conductive material that encapsulates the conductors108.1 through 108.n to prevent the conductors 108.1 through 108.n fromphysically contacting each other. Although the insulating assembly 106is typically not effective in preventing the propagation ofelectromagnetic waves between the cable 100 and the devices, theinsulating assembly 106 represents a dielectric load for the cable 100which increases the effectiveness of the shielding and reinforcementassembly 104 in protecting the cable 100 from EMI. The insulatingassembly 106 can be constructed using one or more plastic materials,such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP),Polyurethane (PUR), or Nylon to provide some examples, one or morerubber materials, such as Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR), Neoprene(Polychloroprene), Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), Silicone, Fiberglass,Ethylene Propylene Rubber (EPR), Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE),Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) to provide some examples, one ormore fluoropolymers, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), FluorinatedEthylene Propylene (FEP), ETFE Tefzel and ECTFE Halar, PolyvinylideneFluoride (PVDF), or Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) to provide someexamples, and/or any other suitable material that will be apparent tothose skilled in the relevant art(s). In an exemplary embodiment, theinsulating assembly 106 can represent a region of free space between thecable jacket 102 and/or the shielding and reinforcement assembly 104 andthe conductors 108.1 through 108.n. In this exemplary embodiment, theone or more of the conductors 108.1 through 108.n can each include theirown insulating assembly which is similar to the insulating assembly 106.

The conductors 108.1 through 108.n route the power, and/or the one ormore information communications between the devices. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the conductors 108.1 through 108.n are formed using a single,solid strand, referred to as a solid conductor, of one or moreconductive materials, such as aluminum (Al), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag),Gold (Au), Tin (Sn), and/or Nickel (Ni) to provide some examples, and/orof one or more transparent materials, such as clear glass or polymerlightguides to provide some examples. However, it is possible that theconductors 108.1 through 108.n can be implemented using multiple strandsof the one or more conductive materials and/or the one or moretransparent materials. In an exemplary embodiment, the one or moreconductive materials carry electrical signals between the devices. Inanother exemplary embodiment, one or more of the conductors 108.1through 108.n can be formed using one or more non-conductive materials,such as silica, fluoride glass, phosphate glass, chalcogenide glass toprovide some examples, to carry optical signals between the devices.

A first group of one or more conductors from among the conductors 108.1through 108.n is configured to route the power and/or the one or morewired communications between the devices. The power routed through thefirst group of one or more conductors can include alternating current(AC) power and/or direct current (DC). Additionally, the first group ofone or more conductors can route any suitable analog and/or digitalsignal that will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s)without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosurebetween the devices as the one or more wired communications. In somesituations, groups of the first group of one or more conductors can betwisted together to form twisted conductors, such as one or more twistedpairs to provide an example.

A second group of one or more conductors from among the conductors 108.1through 108.n is configured to form one or more transmission lines toform one or more integrated antennas for one or more wirelesscommunications. The second group of one or more conductors can beconfigured form a monopole antenna, such as a quarter-wave monopole toprovide an example. However, those skilled in the relevant art(s) willrecognize that the second group of one or more conductors can beconfigured to form other antennas, such as a dipole antenna, an antennaarray, a loop antenna, or a traveling wave antenna to provide someexamples, without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. In some situations, second group of one or more conductorscan be configured to form more than one integrated antenna within thecable 100. For example, the devices can be operable to communication inaccordance with the one or more wireless networking communicationstandards or protocols, each of the one or more wireless networkingcommunication standards or protocol can define different operatingparameters for its respective communication signals. In this example,the second group of one or more conductors can include multipleintegrated antennas, each integrated antenna from among the multipleintegrated antennas corresponding to a wireless communication standardor protocol from among the one or more wireless networking communicationstandards or protocols.

Although the cable 100 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being circular, thisis for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the relevant art(s)will recognize that the cable jacket 102, the shielding andreinforcement assembly 104, the insulating assembly 106, and theconductors 108.1 through 108.n can be of any suitable configuration andarrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, the cable jacket 102, the shielding andreinforcement assembly 104, the insulating assembly 106, and theconductors 108.1 through 108.n can be of suitable configuration andarrangement to form a flexible flat cable.

Exemplary Connectors for the Cable

FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary male connector for the cable accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Typically, a firstend of the cable 100 is mechanically connected to a first connector forcoupling the cable 100 to a first device and a second end of the cable100 is mechanically connected to a second connector for coupling thecable 100 to a second device. A male connector 200 can represent anexemplary embodiment of the first connector and/or the second connector.The male connector 200 can be referred to as a plug. The male connector200 includes a male mechanical housing 202, mechanical contacting pins204.1 through 204.n, and magnetic contacting pins 206.1 through 206.m.

The male mechanical housing 202 represents a protective outer coatingfor the male connector 200. Generally, the male mechanical housing 202protects the mechanical contacting pins 204.1 through 204.n, and/ormagnetic contacting pins 206.1 through 206.m from mechanical, moisture,light, and/or chemical damage during installation and/or service life ofthe male connector 200. The configuration of the male mechanical housing202 typically depends on the number of the conductors 108.1 through108.n within the cable 100. Preferably, a standard mechanical housing,such as a D-type related mechanical housing, a registered jack (RJ)related mechanical housing, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) relatedmechanical housing, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)related mechanical housing, a Digital Visual Interface (DVI) relatedmechanical housing, an S-Video related mechanical housing, a VideoGraphics Array (VGA) related mechanical housing, a DisplayPort relatedmechanical housing, a Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN)/Mini-DINrelated mechanical housing, a Syndicat des Constructeurs d'AppareilsRadioracepteurs et Téléviseurs—Radio and Television ReceiverManufacturers Association (SCART) related mechanical housing, aD-Terminal related mechanical housing, a Unified Display Interface (UDI)related mechanical housing, HDBaseT related mechanical housing, or anyother standardized mechanical housing can be used for the malemechanical housing 202. The male mechanical housing 202 exposes themechanical contacting pins 204.1 through 204.n in such a way to allowthe male connector 200 to be inserted into a female connector, such as ajack, an outlet, or a receptacle to provide some examples, to ensure areliable mechanical and electrical connection between the male connector200 and the first device and/or the second device.

The mechanical contacting pins 204.1 through 204.n mechanically connectthe male connector 200 to mechanical contacting pins of a correspondingplug of a device. For example, a first group of the mechanicalcontacting pins 204.1 through 204.n can be mechanically connected, forexample, soldered or crimped, onto the first group of one or moreconductors of the cable 100 to mechanically connect the first group ofone or more conductors of the cable 100 and the male connector 200.Often times, a second group of the mechanical contacting pins 204.1through 204.n are designated as being “reserved” or “future use” by oneor more wired communication standards or protocols. The one or morewired communication standards or protocols can include a version of anIEEE 802.11 communication standard, an IEEE 1394 “FireWire”communication standard, an HDMI communication standard, Digital VisualInterface (DVI) communication standard, an S-Video communicationstandard, a Video Graphics Array (VGA) communication standard, aDisplayPort communication standard, a serial digital interface (SDI)communication standard, an HDBaseT communication standard, or a MobileHigh-Definition Link (MHL) standard to provide some examples. In thesesituations, the second group of the mechanical contacting pins 204.1through 204.n that are designated as being “reserved” or “future use”can mechanically connect to the second group of one or more conductorsof the cable 100 to mechanically connect the second group of one or moreconductors of the cable 100 and the male connector 200. Alternatively,or in addition to, conventional mounting hardware, such as one or moremechanical screws to provide an example, which secure the male connector200 to the first device or the second device can be substituted with themagnetic contacting pins 206.1 through 206.m. The magnetic contactingpins 206.1 through 206.m can be formed using magnetic material such asiron, nickel, cobalt, some alloys of rare earth metals, and somenaturally occurring minerals such as lodestone to provide some examples.The second group of one or more conductors of the cable 100 can bemechanically connected to the magnetic contacting pins 206.1 through206.m to couple the second group of one or more conductors of the cable100 to the male connector 200. The magnetic contacting pins 206.1through 206.m magnetically couple to corresponding magnetic contactingpins of the first device or the second device to electrically couple thesecond group of one or more conductors of the cable 100 to the firstdevice or the second device as well as to mechanically connect the maleconnector 200 to the first device or the second device. Optionally,other common techniques such as adhesives and/or screw or pin connectorscan be used to enhance the magnetic contacting pins 206.1 through 206.mto the corresponding magnetic contacting pins of the first device or thesecond device.

FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary female connector for the cableaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.Typically, a first end of the cable 100 is mechanically connected to afirst connector for coupling the cable 100 to a first device and asecond end of the cable 100 is mechanically connected to a secondconnector for coupling the cable 100 to a second device. A femaleconnector 210 can represent an exemplary embodiment of the firstconnector and/or the second connector. The female connector 210 can bereferred to as a jack, outlet, or receptacle. The female connector 210includes the mechanical contacting pins 204.1 through 204.n, themagnetic contacting pins 206.1 through 206.m, and a female mechanicalhousing 212. The female connector 210 shares similar features as themale connector 200; therefore, only differences between the femaleconnector 210 and the male connector 200 are discussed in further detailbelow.

The female mechanical housing 212 represents a protective outer coatingfor the female connector 210. The female mechanical housing 212 includesone or more recessed holes with the mechanical contacting pins 204.1through 204.n inside in such a way to allow the male connector 200 to beinserted into a male connector, such as a plug to provide an example, toensure a reliable mechanical and electrical connection between thefemale connector 210 and the first device and/or the second device.

Exemplary Cable Assembly

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary cable assembly according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure. A cable assembly 300 electricallyand/or optically couples a first device and a second device. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the cable assembly 300 includes a first connector302.1 which can be mechanically connected to a corresponding first plugof the first device to electrically couple the cable assembly 300 to thefirst device and a second connector 302.2 which can be mechanicallyconnected to a corresponding second plug of the second device toelectrically couple the cable assembly 300 to the second device. Thefirst connector 302.1 and/or the second connector 302.2 can representexemplary embodiments of the male connector 200 and/or the femaleconnector 210. Although the cable assembly 300 is illustrated as havingthe first connector 302.1 and the second connector 302.2, those skilledin the relevant art(s) will recognize that the cable assembly 300 caninclude a first plug and a second plug or any combination of connectorsor plugs without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure.

As additionally illustrated in FIG. 3, a cable 304 mechanically connectsand electrically and/or optically couples the first connector 302.1 andthe second connector 302.2. The cable 304 can represent an exemplaryembodiment of the cable 100. The cable 304 includes a first group ofconductors 306, such as the first group of one or more conductors of thecable 100 to provide an example, and a second group of conductors 308,such as the second group of one or more conductors of the cable 100 toprovide an example. The first group of conductors 306 is mechanicallyconnected to a first group of mechanical contacting pins, such as afirst group of the mechanical contacting pins 204.1 through 204.n toprovide an example, of the first connector 302.1 and to a second groupof mechanical contacting pins, such as a second group of the mechanicalcontacting pins 204.1 through 204.n to provide an example, of the secondconnector 302.2. As such, the first group of conductors 306 routespower, and/or the one or more information communications between thefirst device and the second device. A first end of the second group ofconductors is mechanically connected to the first group of mechanicalcontacting pins and/or one or more magnetic contacting pins, such as themagnetic contacting pins 206.1 through 206.m to provide an example, ofthe first connector 302.1 and a second end of the second group ofconductors 308 is not terminated, namely not mechanically connected tothe second connector 302.2. Rather, the second group of conductors 308is configured to form one or more transmission lines to form one or moreintegrated antennas to provide one or more wireless communicationsbetween the first device and the second device or one or more thirddevices which are not mechanically connected to the cable assembly 300.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, another second group of conductors308 can be mechanically coupled to the second connector 302. A first endof the other second group of conductors 308 is mechanically connected tothe first group of mechanical contacting pins and/or one or moremagnetic contacting pins, such as the magnetic contacting pins 206.1through 206.m to provide an example, of the second connector 302.2 and asecond end of the other second group of conductors 308 is notterminated, namely not mechanically connected to the first connector302.1. Rather, the other second group of conductors 308 is configured toform one or more second transmission lines to form one or more secondintegrated antennas to provide one or more wireless communicationsbetween the second device and the first device or the one or more thirddevices.

Exemplary Operating Environments

The following Detailed Description illustrates some exemplary operatingenvironments that can incorporate the cable assembly 300. The cableassembly 300 is not limited to these exemplary operating environments.Rather, those skilled in the relevant art(s) will recognize that thecable assembly 300 can be implemented in other operating environmentswithout departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a first exemplary operating environment for the cableassembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.As illustrated in FIG. 4, an exemplary operating environment 400includes a television set 402, a set top box (STB) 404, and a mobilecommunication device 406. A first end of a cable assembly 408 ismechanically connected to the television set 402 and a second end of thecable assembly 408 is mechanically connected to the STB 404. The cableassembly 408 can represent an exemplary embodiment of the cable assembly300. The cable assembly 408 includes a first group of conductors and asecond group of conductors, such as the first group of conductors 306and the second group of conductors 308, respectively, to provide anexample. The first group of conductors electrically and/or opticallycouples the television set 402 and the STB 404 to route audio and/orvideo information relating to a television program from the STB 404 tothe television set 402. The second group of conductors can bemechanically coupled to the television set 402 to provide one or morewireless communications between the television set 402 and the mobilecommunication device 406 or mechanically coupled to the STB 404 toprovide one or more wireless communications between the STB 404 and themobile communication device 406.

FIG. 5 illustrates a second exemplary operating environment for thecable assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 5, an exemplary operating environment500 includes a mobile communication device 502, an ear bud 504, and awireless router 506. A first end of a cable assembly 508 is mechanicallyconnected to the mobile communication device 502 and a second end of thecable assembly 508 is mechanically connected to the ear bud 504. Thecable assembly 508 can represent an exemplary embodiment of the cableassembly 300. The cable assembly 508 includes a first group ofconductors and a second group of conductors, such as the first group ofconductors 306 and the second group of conductors 308, respectively, toprovide an example. The first group of conductors electrically and/oroptically couples the mobile communication device 502 and the ear bud504 to route audio information from the mobile communication device 502to the ear bud 504. The second group of conductors can be mechanicallycoupled to the mobile communication device 502 to provide one or morewireless communications between the mobile communication device 502 andthe wireless router 506.

FIG. 6 illustrates a third exemplary operating environment for the cableassembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.As illustrated in FIG. 6, an exemplary operating environment 600includes a personal computing device 602, an alternating current (AC)connector 604, and a wireless router 606. A first end of a cableassembly 608 is mechanically connected to the personal computing device602 and a second end of the cable assembly 608 is mechanically connectedto the AC connector 604. The cable assembly 608 can represent anexemplary embodiment of the cable assembly 300. The cable assembly 608includes a first group of conductors and a second group of conductors,such as the first group of conductors 306 and the second group ofconductors 308, respectively, to provide an example. The first group ofconductors electrically and/or optically couples the personal computingdevice 602 and the AC connector 604 to route AC power from the ACconnector 604 to the personal computing device 602. The second group ofconductors can be mechanically coupled to the personal computing device602 to provide one or more wireless communications between the personalcomputing device 602 and the wireless router 606.

CONCLUSION

The following Detailed Description referred to accompanying figures toillustrate exemplary embodiments consistent with the disclosure.References in the disclosure to “an exemplary embodiment” indicates thatthe exemplary embodiment described can include a particular feature,structure, or characteristic, but every exemplary embodiment can notnecessarily include the particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring tothe same exemplary embodiment. Further, any feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with an exemplary embodiment canbe included, independently or in any combination, with features,structures, or characteristics of other exemplary embodiments whether ornot explicitly described.

The exemplary embodiments described within the disclosure have beenprovided for illustrative purposes, and are not intend to be limiting.Other exemplary embodiments are possible, and modifications can be madeto the exemplary embodiments while remaining within the spirit and scopeof the disclosure. The disclosure has been described with the aid offunctional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specifiedfunctions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functionalbuilding blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenienceof the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed.

The Detailed Description of the exemplary embodiments fully revealed thegeneral nature of the disclosure that others can, by applying knowledgeof those skilled in relevant art(s), readily modify and/or adapt forvarious applications such exemplary embodiments, without undueexperimentation, without departing from the spirit and scope of thedisclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intendedto be within the meaning and plurality of equivalents of the exemplaryembodiments based upon the teaching and guidance presented herein. It isto be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for thepurpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminologyor phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted bythose skilled in relevant art(s) in light of the teachings herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A connector, comprising: a mechanical housingconfigured to form an outer coating for the connector; a plurality ofmechanical contacting pins, within the mechanical housing, configured tomechanically and electrically connect a plurality of first conductors ofa cable to a second connector of a first device; and a plurality ofmagnetic contacting pins, within the mechanical housing, configured tomagnetically couple to corresponding magnetic contacting pins of thesecond connector to electrically and mechanically connect a plurality ofsecond conductors of the cable to the second connector, wherein theplurality of magnetic contacting pins is further configured to route awireless information communication between the plurality of secondconductors and the first device.
 2. The connector of claim 1, whereinthe plurality of mechanical contacting pins and the plurality ofmagnetic contacting pins are soldered or crimped to the plurality offirst conductors and the plurality of second conductors, respectively.3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the second connector comprises: afemale connector, and wherein the mechanical housing comprises: a malemechanical housing configured to be inserted into the female connectorto electrically and magnetically connect the plurality of magneticcontacting pins and the corresponding magnetic contacting pins of thesecond connector.
 4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the secondconnector comprises: a male connector, and wherein the mechanicalhousing comprises: a female mechanical housing, and wherein the maleconnector is configured to be inserted into the female mechanicalhousing to electrically and magnetically connect the plurality ofmagnetic contacting pins and the corresponding magnetic contacting pinsof the second connector.
 5. The connector of claim 1, wherein theplurality of second conductors is configured to route the wirelessinformation communication between the first device and a second devicenot mechanically coupled to the cable.
 6. The connector of claim 1,wherein the plurality of magnetic contacting pins comprise: a magneticmaterial.
 7. A cable assembly, comprising: a cable jacket configured toform an outer coating for the cable assembly; a connector having amechanical contacting pin and a magnetic contacting pin; a cable, withinthe cable jacket, having a first conductor from among a plurality ofconductors and a second conductor from among the plurality ofconductors, wherein the first conductor is configured to be mechanicallyand electrically connected to the mechanical contacting pin, wherein thesecond conductor is configured to be mechanically and electricallyconnected to the magnetic contacting pin, wherein the magneticcontacting pin is configured to magnetically couple to a correspondingmagnetic contacting pin of a first device to mechanically andelectrically connect the second conductor and the corresponding magneticcontacting pin, and wherein a first end of the second conductor and asecond end of the second conductor are arranged within the cable jacketto form an integrated antenna, the first end of the second conductorbeing electrically and mechanically connected to the magnetic contactingpin, the second end of the second conductor not being mechanicallyconnected within the cable jacket.
 8. The cable assembly of claim 7,wherein the second conductor is configured to route a wirelessinformation communication between the magnetic contacting pin and asecond device not mechanically coupled to the cable assembly.
 9. Thecable assembly of claim 7, wherein the first conductor is configured toroute a wired information communication or power between the mechanicalcontacting pin and the first device.
 10. The cable assembly of claim 7,wherein the connector comprises: a male connector configured to beinserted into a female connector of the first device to electrically andmagnetically connect the magnetic contacting pin and the correspondingmagnetic contacting pin.
 11. The cable assembly of claim 7, wherein theconnector comprises: a female connector, and wherein a male connector ofthe first device is configured to be inserted into the female connectorto electrically and magnetically connect the magnetic contacting pin andthe corresponding magnetic contacting pin.
 12. The cable assembly ofclaim 7, further comprising: a shielding assembly, formed between thecable jacket and the plurality of conductors, including a plurality ofopenings, the plurality of openings being configured to pass anelectromagnetic wave between the cable jacket and the integratedantenna.
 13. A connector, comprising: a mechanical contacting pinconfigured to mechanically and electrically connect a first conductorfrom among a plurality of conductors of a cable to a first device; and amagnetic contacting pin configured to magnetically couple to acorresponding magnetic contacting pin of the first device toelectrically and mechanically connect a second conductor from among theplurality of conductors to the first device, wherein the magneticcontacting pin is further configured to route a wireless informationcommunication between the second conductor and the first device.
 14. Theconnector of claim 13, wherein the mechanical contacting pin and themagnetic contacting pin are soldered or crimped to the first conductorand the second conductor, respectively.
 15. The connector of claim 13,wherein the second conductor is configured to route the wirelessinformation communication between the first device and a second devicenot mechanically coupled to the cable.
 16. The connector of claim 13,wherein the magnetic contacting pin comprises: a magnetic material. 17.The connector of claim 13, wherein a first end of the second conductorand a second end of the second conductor are arranged within the cableto form an integrated antenna, the first end of the second conductorbeing electrically and mechanically connected to the magnetic contactingpin, the second end of the second conductor not being mechanicallyconnected within the cable.
 18. The connector of claim 13, wherein theconnector is a male connector configured to be inserted into a femaleconnector of the first device to electrically and magnetically connectthe connector to the first device.
 19. The connector of claim 13,wherein the connector is a female connector, and wherein a maleconnector of the first device is configured to be inserted into thefemale connector to electrically and magnetically connect the connectorto the first device.
 20. The connector of claim 13, wherein themechanical contacting pin is further configured to route a wiredinformation communication or power between the first conductor and thefirst device.